mid a backdrop of praise and reverence the leaders of the Seventh-day Adventist in North American convened the North American Division (NAD) Year-end meetings October 31 at the Adventist World Headquarter in Silver Spring, Maryland.

The annual business session of the NAD Executive Committee, the highest deliberative body of the church in North America, enacts polices are voted, department personnel, and approves the division budget.

Church leaders selected an opening meeting on the Sabbath to make clear that the most important business of the church is worship and proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Roscoe Howard (above), who was elected division secretary one year ago, marked the progress of the church in his first report to the division committee.

Howard alluded to the times in which the church must do its work. "The destruction of the twin towers, wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the reality of Nuclear proliferation by North Korea, same sex marriage legislation in Canada, double-digit unemployment, hate crimes, and uncertain pension funds have had an impact of uncertainty and cynicism on society," he said. "Where are we headed and what happens when we get there?"

"In the midst of the confusion, the church must live and thrive," he explained. "I believe that he Lord is calling Adventist leaders, pastors, teachers, and lay members to recognize that God's light is waiting to explode on this continent in a manner that will make Pentecost look like a wading pond beside the Niagara Falls."

He encouraged committee members to seek God as they lead others, "We will in no way finish this work in our strength or with our ability to strategically plan, cast visions and create programs," he said. The spirit of the living God must first posses us as leaders of this church, and our influence must be infectious."

Almost a Million
Howard announced that Adventist membership in North America reached 983,662 as of June 30, 2003, and explained that at the present rate of growth (2.1 percent) the membership should reach the one million mark by the second quarter of 2004.

Annual accessions in 2002 totaled 36,896, a decrease of 70 from the previous year. The net growth for 2002 was 19,195 bringing the total membership to 95,076 as of December 31, 2002. In the first six month of this year, accession total 17,128. In 2003 the Southern Union Conference (which includes Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee, and the Carolinas), with a membership of 211,208 had surpassed the Pacific Union (Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, and Utah) and become the largest of the division's nine union conferences. Howard pointed out that nearly 43 percent of the division's membership reside in these two unions.

Celebration Time?
"We celebrate the fruit of the labor of pastors and lay-members that brought us to this point," Howard said. "It has taken us more than 150 years to reach one million in membership. Praise God for a two percent growth rate, but we can't be satisfied with maintenance ministry. God longs to give us so much more. The Lord is calling each of us collectively and individually to exert our influence for the pulling down of Satan's strong holds and procuring the promise of the Holy Spirit of healing, power and love."